SINGAPORE 2010: Singapore air show preview

The Singapore air show - being held for the second time next week following its 2006 split with Asian Aerospace - remains the premier all-sector event for the eastern hemisphere. With Asia showing more positive signs of sustained economic growth than any other region, this year's event gives suppliers an opportunity to tap into burgeoning budgets. There are several major military aircraft procurement contests hotting up; the airline sector is set to grow faster than anywhere in the world; and business and general aviation is in its infancy. And like other emerging regions, Asian nations want to be more than simply customers by nurturing their own technology and aviation support sectors. In the following pages, our Singapore-based writers set the scene for the show week ahead.